We might throw around the word budget a lot, but generally its in the context of the item/market we're talking about. In this case though, budget really means budget, as the 18 Megapixel T6 is being offered with an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens for $550. The T6 is a moderate upgrade from the previous Canon T5, which is still being sold online for $400. Image quality in both still images and video will be mostly the same, but you do get a much higher resolution LCD on the back that will help with focusing for video (though it's fixed in place). Video frame rates are also the same, up to a maximum of 1080p and 30fps, and 60fps at 720p.
Here's a first look from B&H:
And one from Canon:
And the specs:
- 18MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
- DIGIC 4+ Image Processor
- 3.0" 920k-Dot LCD Monitor
- 1920 x 1080p / 29.97 fps (46 Mbps) / 23.98 fps (46 Mbps)
- 1280 x 720p / 59.94 fps (46 Mbps)
- 640 x 480p / 29.97 fps (11 Mbps)
- Max Clip Length: 30 Minutes
- 9-Point AF with Center Cross-Type Point
- ISO 100-6400 (Extended Mode: 100-12800)
- Shutter: 3 - 1/4000 sec
- 3 fps Continuous Still Image Shooting
- Built-In Wi-Fi with NFC
- 1 SD, SDHC, SDXC Card Slot
- Scene Intelligent Auto Mode
- Basic+ and Creative Auto Modes
- Ports: 2.5mm Sub-mini (2-Ring), HDMI C (Mini), Mini-USB, USB 2.0
- Weight: 17.1 oz / 485 g
- Availability: April
- Price: $550 with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6, $750 with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 & 75-300mm f/4-5.6
This is an entry-level DSLR through and through, and there are certainly better-performing cameras in the Canon lineup as far as low-light sensitivity and maximum resolution (many of the low-end cameras are 24 Megapixels vs 18 Megapixels on this one). As far as video is concerned, however, you're not really going to see much of a difference between all of these Canon models under $1,000, so it's really more about what features you want and what price you want to pay. A few of the slightly more expensive cameras are a little better in low-light, but this camera does have some features others may not have, like WiFi and Near Field Communication (NFC), which lets you share images to a linked mobile device for instant posting online.
The T6 is being offered with the base lens which should take care of most situations, but if you really want to get close-up at longer distances, there are packages with a longer 75-300mm lens, which will take care of everything else. These aren't the best video lenses, and there's no video autofocus with this camera, but again, this is about cheap, not necessarily the highest quality. You may very well find some some better values with other companies, but if you're looking for something that's easy to use and gives great color right out of the gate, this is as entry-level as it gets from Canon.
